This invention relates to an open-topped, stackable, corrugated paperboard container for transporting and displaying fruit, produce, or similar items.
It is becoming common in large supermarkets and discount stores to sell fruit, vegetables and similar items out of the paperboard containers that they are shipped in. These containers are open-topped and are stacked on top of one another during shipment and display. When the top container is empty it is simply removed from the stack exposing the next full container. Since fruit and produce are sold with a low profit margin and these containers often are disposed of after a single use, the cost of the containers becomes a factor in the cost of the product being sold out of them. In addition, it is important that these containers be stacked squarely on top of one another or the stack will become unstable. Typically, indexing tabs, which protrude from the top edges of a lower container, fit into indexing slots in the bottom of the upper container to ensure that the containers stack properly. However, the edge of a piece of corrugated paperboard is easily damaged and if the tabs become damaged they will not fit easily into the slots. In order to keep the containers stacked squarely when the tabs do not fit cleanly into the slots, containers of this type often have diagonal comers which support the bottom of a stacked container. Finally, this type of container often is a bliss-type container which is relatively inexpensive to construct. However, if a bliss-type container has diagonal elements at the comers, the side walls on the bliss pieces will not extend completely to the end walls on the main piece and the containers end up skewed slightly when the bliss pieces are attached to the main piece. This also effects the stackability of the container.
The subject invention provides a container in which the bliss elements have an outer panel which extends to the inside surface of the end elements of the main piece to facilitate squaring a container upon assembly, and an inner panel which does not extend to the side elements of the main piece and has the diagonal pieces attached to its extremities.